Too Close for Comfort
by Aglaia.x.Euphrosyne.x.Thalia
Summary: A fallout in her last year at Hogwarts made Lily drop magic forever. She became a stubborn criminal lawyer with a closed heart. That is, until someone shows up accused of first degree murder, her new client and also an old Hogwarts acquaintance.


**Too Close for Comfort**

Disclaimer: not mine

A/N: A bit AU, obviously ;)

Chapter 1

Lily stepped into the cell, where she could see a man casually leaning his chair back on its two back legs--as if he were in his own home and not in a jail being accused of murder. She couldn't see him too well as of yet, only taking in his tall, wiry form. A man strong enough to kill, at least out of appearance.

"Good afternoon," she said briskly. It was routine. She either cared for her client or she didn't. She worked hard to win her case either way, but it wasn't always that she managed to form any kind of bond, let alone with a prisoner.

"I could break out of this place in an instant," he replied smoothly, ignoring pleasantries. His voice turned her stomach over for reasons she couldn't fathom.

"I'm sure you could, sir," she assured. By this time she was cursing herself for not even having looked at his file, his name, the circumstances. She had just lost a case the other day, and had rushed into this one without any prior knowledge. She always studied her client, she _had_ to. If anyone knew she had jumped in here blindly, not even knowing this man's name…

She peeked into her papers, searching for a name.

"I take it you're not very good at this?"

Lily's head whipped up. "I've had very _much _experience with this kind of thing, thank you very much! I can see we're already getting off to a bad start, so why don't we just skip the niceties?"

Both fell silent. After cooling down, Lily had connected that old teasing lilt to a face. The man stopped breathing as he experienced the heated tone he had almost forgotten.

She leaned in, trying to see his face; he turned his head up, looking into her bright green eyes with a small smile.

"Nice hair."

---

She flushed. It was shorter, she knew. Not too much, but still shorter. He had never seen her put her hair up like that, tight and high up on her head. The only times he had ever seen her tie her hair, it had always been into a loose, haphazard ponytail, strands falling into her eyes.

They were still silent, and Lily took the time to examine him. He was different once again. But then again, he was always changing. He had started out scrawny, shorter than her and almost skinnier. His glasses had widely framed his eyes--but even then he had been one of the most popular through his personality and personage.

Then, seemingly the very moment he turned fourteen, he had towered over her, toned his body until he was lean but sinewy, grown into those glasses until one couldn't imagine him being anywhere near as handsome without them, and his ever messy hair…stayed the same. But people went from looking at his hair with huge, bold question marks hovering over their heads to admiring its "windblown sexiness" or whatever the term was.

And now he had changed once again. His hair would never change, and neither would his complimenting glasses, but he looked a good deal wearier, though still only in his twenties. He had a shadow about him, like he had seen people die, almost died himself…maybe even killed people.

"You…_You_ killed someone…?" Lily asked shakily, sitting down opposite him. "I mean…really _killed_ someone?"

"You don't know anything yet."

She paused.

"Fine. Before…before we get anywhere…Mr. Potter--"

"You know we're past that," he interrupted. "You don't call someone who practically worshipped the ground you walked on for seven years _Mr. Potter_."

"I don't know you anymore," she replied, but relented anyway, "James."

"Thanks," he replied with a familiar grin.

They were silent once more.

"Was she a Death-Eater? Did you--"

"No."

"James, I'm not some thick Muggle who won't understa--"

"Aren't you? You gave up your whole life to be one."

"Potter!" she yelled, resorting to how she had acted back during Hogwarts. He locked his eyes on her, searching her face. His expression made her feel suddenly ashamed of herself, a guilty feeling she hadn't been attacked with for years. He was right, in a sense--the last time she had used magic was to pretend she had already gone through all Muggle schooling when in truth she only had a few months of special schooling. She was now twenty five, a law school prodigy. The formidable Bar had been only a challenging exam for her--she had been top in her year at Hogwarts, but now it seemed she had an uncanny talent for law along with hers for magic. Not that the latter mattered to her anymore.

"Yes?" he asked cheekily.

"If you're going to get out of this," she growled through gritted teeth, "we _need_ to cooperate. One more comment about anything I might have done in the past and I drop this case, and _you_. Be happy if all you get is stuck in an asylum without me!"

"I don't see why I can't just Apparate out of here."

"Why didn't you before?" she retorted.

"Because I knew you'd be my lawyer. Thought it'd be nice to see you again."

"Well, you saw me. Go ahead and Apparate. Break out. Be a fucking fugitive, for all I care!"

"You care," he replied quietly, reaching his large, callused hand up to her face. The blood froze in her veins as he tucked a single stray hair back behind her ear. That was all it took for unwanted memories to painfully swamp her.

* * *

A/N: Tadaa! Lol. My first fic like this...

Input would earn a huge thank-you.

Love,

The Graces


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